Antique Persia

History Facts…• Persia is the antique name for “Iran”. • It is located in Western Asia• The capital of Iran (Persia) is Tehran• It is bordered by: Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Persian

Gulf, the Oman Gulf, Iraq, and Turkey• It is one of the world’s oldest civilizations• The first Persian dinasty was in 2800 B.C• Muslims conquered Persia• Literature, philosophy, art, astronomy, medicine, and

mathematics are still major elements in Muslim civilization.

Persia is home to one of the richest artistic traditions in world history.

Iran ranks seventh among countries in the world with the most important archeological architectural ruins and attractions from antiquity as recognized by UNESCO.

Decorative Arts…

• Traditionally, the reference for Iranian architecture has been its cosmic meanings, “by which man is brought into communication and participation with the powers of heaven”

• Three of the most important techniques in Persian Arts were Wall Reliefs, Miniatures, and Metal Work.

Persian Miniatures• A Persian miniature is a small, detailed

painting on paper• They are kept in an album specially

made to keep these works, called a Muraqqa.

• Colors are very bright and pure• Lightning is even, no shadows are

included• Often include complex views, such as

landscapes seen through windows, or interior views seen from the outside

• Most of them have a vertical direction and very detailed borders or frames.

Persian Wallrelief

• Relief is to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane

• We can find it in Greek, Roman, Persian, and Egyptian arts

• The technique consists of sculpting the background, and leaving the main shapes untouched

• There are different levels depending on how deep the cut is: high relief, mid relief, low relief, and sunk relief.

Sunk Relief Low Relief

Mid Relief High Relief

Persian Low Relief

Persian Metalwork

• Persian people were the pioneers in the art of metal work.

• Metalwork was done on gold, silver, and iron pieces

• Metalwork was used for sculptures or for embossing (relief)

• Themes were related to mythology and old religious tales.

Omar Rayo

Colombia

OMAR RAYO

• Omar Rayo (20 January 1928 – 7 June 2010) was a Colombian painter, engraver, and sculptor.

• He won the 1970 Salón de Artistas Colombianos.

• Rayo worked with abstract geometry, primarily using black, white and red colors.

• He was part of the Op Art movement.

• He was recognized internationally. On January 20, 2012, Google presented a “Doodle” made for his birth aniversary in his honor.

Some of his paintings…

Some of his sculptures…

Intaglio

• “Intaglio” is a technique in art in which an image is created by cutting, carving, embossing, or engraving into a flat surface

• Normally, copper or zinc plates are used as a surface or matrix, and the incisions are created by etching or engraving the surface

• Intaglios are also done on paper• An embossing tool or a heat press is used to

make the reliefs on the paper.

OMAR RAYO’S INTAGLIOS